from natives, of whose
disposition I knew nothing, but also from wild beasts, which we could
hear distinctly every night, howling in the jungles in a most
melancholy, dreadful manner.

Thirdly and lastly, I did not believe the pirates would stay long where
they were, as I had often heard of the cowardly disposition of these
bloody wretches; wherefore I hoped that, seeing how well we were posted
to guard ourselves against an attack from them, they might take
themselves away upon the first occasion, which they could not now do
because of the calm weather. I furthermore argued that in any event,
should occasion render it necessary, I could easily disembark my
passengers with but little loss of time, and as easily and safely then
as now.

Such had been the nature of my thoughts whenever I had directed them
upon the melancholy and gloomy state of our affairs. Yet had the most
sinister forebodings which I had entertained at those times been
fulfilled, our misfortunes could not have equalled those which in truth
fell upon us, the history of which I have immediately to tell.

Captain Leach's trip in search of a new berth had been undertaken so
early in the morning that it was not yet noon when he had returned. Some
little time after that, I being in my own cabin at the time, there came
of a sudden a sound that was, as it were, the first muttering of the
storm that was so soon to fall upon us. It was the dull and heavy boom
of a single cannon, sounding from a great way off, and which I instantly
knew had been fired aboard of the pirate craft. I went straight upon
the deck, where I found the weather still as dead a calm as it had been
the two days before, with not so much as a breath of air stirring or a
cat's-paw upon the water. The ground-swell rose and fell as smoothly as
though the sea ran with oil instead of water, and the sky above had an
appearance as of a solid sheet of steel-blue, with not so much as one
single cloud upon the whole face of it. But the first thing that I
beheld was the pirate craft, and that they were hoisting sail as though
they perceived a breeze coming, of which we saw nothing. Across her port
bow the smoke of her gun still hung like a round white cloud just above
the glassy surface of the sea.

"Sure she means to quit us, Mr. Langely," said I; but Mr. Langely never
answered, for just as he opened his lips to speak, the lookout roared,
"Sail ho!"

"Where away?" sang out Mr. White, who was officer